Nepenthe (TMR FF) UNDER EDITING

Chapter 41

An icy cold shot through my veins as goose bumps began to cover my skin; my whole body feeling like I had just jumped into a pool of freezing cold water. My vision darkened and I landed on the ground, my knees hitting the slippery cement underneath me. I winced, looking up to see Teresa and Chuck moving to help me stand.

Moments passed before Thomas appeared, landing straight on his feet. It would have been a smooth landing if he didn't slip and fall straight on his ass. Like me, Teresa and Chuck helped him up. I, however, was frozen on the spot, shaking in the darkness. I couldn't see anything but Teresa's flashlight, and that realisation didn't help calm my nerves at all. Thomas seemed to noticed my distress and rushed over to me, wrapping a protective arm around my waist.

"You okay?" He whispered into my ear, in which I nodded shakily in reply, to nervous and scared to mutter a single word. The dark wasn't my favourite place, especially after spending two nights in the maze.

"The computer's over there." Teresa announced, drawing Thomas' attention away from me. She aimed the flashlight down the cylinder like tunnel, only to have it shine onto a green, glass TV like thing. Beneath it lay a dusty keyboard. I followed Thomas's gaze as it switched from the computer to above us, where we had both fallen out. It was like square, really. A square in the roof. He then looked down at me, hope in his eyes. This was easy, really. Too easy.

"Put the words in!" Chuck yelled, slapping Thomas on the shoulder in excitement. "Hurry!"

Thomas looked down at the boy, before turning to Teresa, motioning for her to go over to the computer. "Chuck and I'll keep watch, make sure a Griever doesn't come through the Hole. Take Emma with you. Keep her safe."

Teresa looked at me, before nodding, not a hint of hesitation on her face. "Okay."

Teresa grabbed my hand gently, before pulling me over to the computer, stepping onto the platform so that she could type. I watched her in awe. She was so calm and collected, and then there was me. I should be the calm one. I'm the one who has encountered Grievers before, yet she's still more confident than I am.

Teresa suddenly rolled her eyes, snorting in annoyance. "I'm not an idiot, Tom. Yes, I'm perfectly capable of remembering—"

A loud bang came from Thomas' and Chuck's direction, causing me to let out a small squeak. My eyes widened as I watched a Griever make its way out of the hole, not too far away from the two boys. It looked more deadly than the others, but maybe that was just my fear of the creatures acting up on me.

I sighed in relief as Thomas pushed Chuck behind him, his first instinct being to protect the younger boy. I would have done the exact same if I was in that situation.

"Just keep typing, Teresa!" he yelled.

Teresa scowled, clenching her jaw, though I could see the fear in her eyes. She was just as scared as I was, she was just better at hiding it.

I squeezed my eyes shut, not able to watch Thomas fight the Griever anymore. If he died, if Chuck died, I don't think I'd be able to handle it. I wouldn't have a chance at escaping the Griever, even if Teresa did manage to get the code right.

"These things are beatable!" Thomas shouted, making my eyes open.

Teresa was clearly struggling, looking confused and desperate. She kept retyping the words, and I could just barely make some of them out. She kept typing the word 'Push' over and over again. I furrowed my eyebrows, not really understanding. What did these words even mean? What kind of codes were these? If I created the Maze, did I create the codes? Because they were pretty shucking stupid.

"You killed it!" Chuck exclaimed, causing both Teresa and I to look towards them. A smile lit up my face and hope filled my veins as I saw the dead Griever on the ground, completely still.

"Wasn't so hard," Thomas muttered, then turned to see Teresa frantically typing away at the keyboard again. He furrowed his eyebrows at her, and my hope vanished. Something was obviously wrong.

"What's the problem?" he asked, almost shouting. He ran up to look over her shoulder, Chuck running over to stand beside me. They both watched as she continued to type 'push', over and over again, yet nothing changed on the screen.

"I put in all the words and one by one they appeared on the screen; then something beeped and they'd disappear. But it won't let me type in the last word. Nothing's happening!" She explained, pointing at the screen.

Thomas looked defeated, and Chuck quickly grabbed my hand. "Well ... why?"

Teresa looked at him in annoyance, obviously having no idea. Chuck, starting to feel uncomfortable with their silent arguing, looked around absentmindedly. All of a sudden he let out a squeak.

"Thomas!" He yelled, pointing behind us. Our eyes widened as we watched two Grievers start to make their way out of the hole, landing on top of the dead one that Thomas had just killed moments ago.

"What's taking so long!" Chuck cried frantically. "You said they'd turn off when you punched in the code!"

I squeezed Chuck's hand in fear, not knowing if I was trying to comfort him, or myself. Both would be good right now.

"It won't let us enter the word PUSH," Thomas said absently, looking distracted. He was thinking, trying to figure out the problem, and not worrying about the Grievers, which had started to move towards us.

Chuck looked towards me, tilting his head. "Maybe they should just press the button?"

We all looked up at Chuck in bewilderment, and before Thomas could speak, Teresa was already crouching down on her knees, trying to reach the button. As Thomas bent down to help, I saw a flash behind me, and jumped in front of my brother before the Griever could latch onto him. A prick of pain rushed through me and I let out a small groan, staring wide eyed at the Griever. It seemed to hesitate, just like the one had with me on the second night I had spent in the Maze. Maybe it wasn't going to kill me. Maybe I was going to survive.

Before another hope filled thought could pass through my mind, I was pulled forward, and away from the others. I let out a screech as I was slowly dragged away, extending my arms in an attempt to grab something, anything, that would stop the Griever from taking me.

"Chuck, move!" I ordered, watching as the other one had begun to swipe at him with one of its metal rods.

Push!" Thomas screamed, louder than I had ever heard anyone scream in my life.

So Teresa did, and everything stopped, going completely silent. I fell to the ground, the only sound left was my body hitting the cement, and the distant sound of a door opening at the end of the tunnel.